NMA calls for action against increasing mineral imports

National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn offered the following comment on the 15 February House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources’ hearing on Rep. Mark Amodei’s (R-Nev.) ‘National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act’ (H.R. 520):

“With increasing calls to support US manufacturing, infrastructure and our national defense, a critical first step will be to support domestic mining, the very industry that feeds the front end of all supply chains. The US is home to one of the most abundant and rich minerals reserves in the world – an estimated US$6.2 trillion – yet we are increasingly looking abroad for minerals and metals, putting our national interest at grave risk.

“Our dependence on foreign minerals has doubled in the past 20 years. Today, less than half of the mineral needs of US manufacturing are met from domestically mined minerals, a trend that will only worsen unless we reform the decade-long permitting process responsible for it.

“This legislation carefully addresses the deficiencies of our outdated, lengthy and redundant permitting system. By incorporating best practices for coordination among federal and state agencies, setting reasonable deadlines and clarifying responsibilities, H.R. 520 provides a much needed pathway for efficient, timely and thorough permit reviews.

“As Hecla Mining Company’s Doug Stiles advised the House Natural Resources Subcommittee today: ‘We should not trap minerals projects in a limbo of duplicative, unpredictable and endless review without a decision point’.

“Congress should support this commonsense legislation designed to make the most of our abundant wealth of natural resources.”